Title
Portrait bust of a Balinese man
Year/Period
(before) 1991
Region
Bali, Indonesia
Object Type
Material
Technique
Dimension
Object size: 26.0 x 19.0 x 12.0 cm
Accession No.
2018-01031
Collection of
Credit Line
Gift of the City of Delft, Netherlands
This portrait bust of a Balinese man is carved in a dark hardwood, perhaps ebony, polished to a smooth, high-gloss finish. His headdress (udeng) is tied without the knot showing, possibly marking him as a temple priest (pemangku). Its naturalistic, unpainted style is indicative of the modern style of woodcarving which Balinese artists began to practice from the 1930s, with the influx in European visitors. Before this time, woodcarving was largely used in temple architecture and in religious ceremonies.
